Public institutions of higher learning in Missouri are now legally forbidden from discriminating against student groups based on their religious or political beliefs.

A new law sponsored by State Sen. Brad Hudson, R-Cape Fair, establishes a right to “freedom of association” on Missouri’s college campuses.

“That’s what we’ve been seeing is, is we’ve been seeing throughout the country discrimination against students by universities because of their sincerely held religious beliefs,” Hudson told Missourinet. “This is unconstitutional. This is a violation of the First Amendment rights of those students.”

Hudson cited a case he said happened at the University of Iowa.

“There was a religious student group that wanted to require the leadership of their group (to) adhere to biblical principle

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